How to: new wainscot design (Mix'n'Match backgrounds)
You have been following my blog for a year, you will know that I pay close attention to the background of my photos. Sometimes the background can make a big difference in your photos, and I like the results I've had since I started working harder. But even though I would love to have a lot of dioramas and scenes for every moment, I don’t have a place to store them, and I’m sure that’s a problem for some of you too. That’s why I came up with the idea for the Mix’n’Match background , which allows me to create different scenes with a few elements that can be combined.
In the "Part 2" of the series, I made an empty frieze / panel and although I liked the effect a lot, I felt that I could put more effort into my next project. I hope to start doing more frizz from September and I finally have a chance. And since I received such a positive opinion for Part 2, it would be nice to share it here, step by step.
For this craft, we need the same materials we used last time:
- Cardboard binding.
- Cutter with a sharp blade.
- first
- Adhesives, both sticks and PVA.
- hand-painted
- Cereal boxes.
I start to cut the frieze to size. I use the last sand, which is already equal to the width of the wall. The first one I did was 18cm tall which looked nice when the dolls were standing. However, in the photos I took of the dolls sitting, the color of the wall is barely visible. So this time I decided to make it a little shorter, 16 cm (6.3 inches). The rest is 17 cm, then I will use it to make another frieze.
I also cut out the top and bottom cover details. With the rest I had enough for 3 pieces. 1, 1.5 and 2 cm (0.39, 0.59 and 0.79 inches) respectively. I started this craft a long time ago, where I couldn't find any more pictures of the cutting process.
Now it's time to paint everything with a universal plaster / primer. Although the plaster is water-based, it seems to me to be a relatively strong odor that remains for a while, similar to the smell of a newly finished house. So when I use it, I like to ventilate my workshop for a few hours so that the smell doesn’t stay there for long. Since it’s winter here, I painted my work around 10:00 to keep the room open during the hottest hours of the day.
Don’t forget to paint both sides of the pieces so they don’t bend.
At first I wanted to use a 2 cm edge at the bottom and a 1.5 cm edge at the top, but I thought they would be too big. So I decided to use 1.5 at the bottom and a smaller one at the top.
Now, we start doing something different from the previous one. I want to add some vertical lines to make the frieze more accurate. Draw lines on the cereal box. I make mine 0.47 inches (1.2 cm) wide, but you can make it as wide as you want.
I decided to make these lists using a cereal box and not the same binding board, because I want them to be smaller at the top and bottom. By applying several layers, you can control their thickness. However, you can use popcorn or whatever and skip this step.
Cut some.
Before I cut them all, I got some to plan on how long my tape should be. I think the 14 cm (5.5 inch) gap would be fine.
Measure the distance between the top and bottom edges and mark the cereal box strips. Cut them out.
I recommend that you put your pieces together before proceeding.
Fold and glue all the necessary parts to the desired thickness. In my case, I discovered that 2 parts would work. I like to use a clothes peg to help keep it in place, but don’t leave it on too long, otherwise it can leave marks.
After drying, glue with PVA glue. I start sticking from left to right. I left a distance of 12 cm between the edge and the first strip, simply because I didn’t want the last piece to be so close to the edge.
Take the time to make this piece, taking care that it is straight and does not stick to the edges of the glue. I use a square ruler to make sure everything fits perfectly. This rule is probably as old as me.
I like to put on some weight and let it dry a bit.
Now is the time to do my favorite part: choose a color to draw. The color you choose may depend on the colors you choose for your wall. If you have neutral walls, you can use wood panels or use them as an option to add shine and brilliance. If you have very bright and colorful walls, you can choose something neutral to smooth. You can also combine a colorful wooden frieze with a colored wall and it might look great, but it makes it harder for me. Since most of my walls are more colorful, I chose a neutral gray color.
I usually need two coats to get a smooth surface, and maybe a few touches here and there if the surface isn’t completely smooth.
Well, I think we're done!
Now it’s time to see what our new frieze looks like against some of our walls. Let's start with the last thing I did, with the orchids. I added a pink chair and a flower pot to give more details to the scene. Although the pink chairs are not the same as the color of the wall, they look good together thanks to the contrast with the gray.
I tried to place the dolls next to the camera to see how they would look from a distance.
I also want to see how it compares to other colors, so let’s try a blue wall. Lea seems very happy with her appearance.
Keep in mind that these wallpapers are especially useful for adding something to your doll photos, so dolls should be the center of attention.
For some reason, I was very curious to see what my beige wall would look like. Although I like the two color combination, I don't think this combination will fit my dolls or furniture. I find him very intelligent. However, I see how good it can look with mid-century furniture and other types of dolls.
Finally, my Sea Breeze wall. I like the combination, but I think Lea is pretty tired in her back. Maybe next time it can be corrected with a warmer beam.
In conclusion, I am very happy with the way it has turned out. During the creation process, I was afraid it might seem a bit slow, but the craft sometimes seems ugly until the last step. I want to recreate this coral design and play with the size of the jewelry so I can see it later this year.
I hope you are well. Things are going very badly here, so we were almost isolated at home. As soon as I clicked “Post” in my last post, Mr. Monster told me that he would be working from home by mid-February because his company didn’t want to risk it. So now she works in the workshop, and I make crafts and make photography dolls. There are some projects on my list that I need materials for, but they will be a bit stagnant until things are fixed. It’s not a big deal, as I have enough craft supplies at home to make the content for March.
I would like to know what you think about this project. I hope the instructions are clear, but if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments section or check out my previous post. I know the rays were very smooth in some of the craft photos, but I worked in natural light and it can be unpredictable. I have more projects and dioramas in the background, but if you have any suggestions, they are welcome.
See you in the next post in February. Take care of yourself
Crafts with monsters
Related posts:
Coral cover for spring diorama
My cooking blog: Cooking with MC
